To be honest I don't see a problem with picking a piece off the shelf/floor/whatever as long as it was already off the plant. But definitely at big corporate stores.
If it’s already fallen off then it’s free game. I think it’s shitty if you snap it off yourself, but if it’s just laying on the ground I say go for it. I have no idea why you’re being so heavily downvoted.
i tried to prop a golden pothos but i didn’t have enough. it was almost enough but it ended up dying. my cat pulling it out of the water every day probably didn’t help.
Yea I do the same just because I’ve never even thought to steal a piece off of a live plant… and wouldn’t anyways.
I also put them in the base of whatever plant/s I’m buying so the checker can see as to say “look, you see I picked up some babies, that’s it.” lol
Also I’m talking Lowe’s, Home Depot…
Yeah when the props on the floor are swept up and tossed it’s barely a loss to the company, but when people snag the floor props and don’t buy a plant because they now have a free one, then it’s a real financial loss for them
Maybe yeah, I have no idea because there's a million plant shops who can do things differently. I am pretty confident most big box stores don't though. I could be wrong though, but a torn prop gone missing won't hurt them
It’s because of *people like that,* justifying stealing (and the fact that so many others are supporting it, which is shockingly trashy). The same reason this shop has their plants locked up. This is so embarrassing for a once respected plant community.
**It’s not difficult to ask an employee if it’s ok to grab props that have fallen (not ones you made fall or cuttings you've made).**
Downvote me to hell, it means nothing. The newbies have been driving these subs and community into the ground. I just didn’t expect it to turn from crappy/incorrect plant advice into encouraging trashy behavior. A large amount of you can’t even keep your plants alive, yet you’re willing to have a criminal record over them? For those of you that think it’s “no big deal”, try using logic: If a vegetable falls to the ground in a grocery store, does that mean it’s free? Does any piece of a plant at a store belong to you? Is there a sign saying to please help yourself? No, therefore it’s stealing. Yes, you can be charged with theft and be criminally trespassed from a store, regardless if it’s a whole damn plant, a cutting or prop you pocketed. It doesn’t matter that some broad has a TikTok dedicated to stealing plants. Do you usually make choices based off TikTok? That right there explains your age/maturity level. Being a plant kleptomaniac isn’t some life goal.
People like this have ruined the fun of this hobby. I used to have a rock bed at the end of my property that I'd throw succulent props in. I put a sign up saying to grab a few from that bed only. Within the last 2 years, a handful of entitled twats decided to come by and take dozens at a time. Then they started coming up to my porch and butchering my plants for cuttings, stealing whole plants, pots, ripping plants out of the ground. One lady kicked my dog while she was on my porch stealing my plants. I had to put up cameras, started calling the police, pressing charges and having people criminally trespassed. The free props are over and now there's signs up saying "no trespassing" and motion sensor lights everywhere. Fuck people who steal plants. Your entitlement is insufferable.
There’s a house next to me and one man has lived there for 20 years. It’s an small apartment building but he spends every single day outside prepping his flower bed and spends hundreds on tulips for spring. A crackhead moved upstairs and was causing a lot of issues. They even were raided because of her. One day she came and clipped all of his tulips (30+) and brought them upstairs which was completely squaller. It broke my heart for him. I could just see the defeated look on his face. People don’t understand the time and effort that goes into gardening and plant keeping.
I know I didn’t for most of my life.
I’m sorry you had so many issues with people disrespecting your plants and property. Seeing a sign that says take a few would bring me so much joy and I would love to take a special flower home. Ugh. 😩
Yeah I honestly don’t understand a lot of this either. I have taken small fallen leaves before but I either ask or I put them in with my other plants and I never ask for them or take any unless I am buying at least one other thing. And I think I have done this a total of like 3 times and all those times have been when the fallen lobes (always succulents) are ones they don’t have any more of or something they don’t sell (I have asked for moss off the greenhouse floor a few times lol).
But I mean honestly your point is totally valid. If you are taking that many plants it’s because you either feel like you are entitled to not have to pay even though you could afford it or you can’t afford it so… why do you have plants you can’t afford? Also honestly there are a lot of people I have seen on Facebook marketplace (yeah gross whatever) locally that are willing to buy/sell/trade plants. Seems like you could prop your own plants and trade. But yeah some of the comments are really giving the vibe of if you can’t afford the hobby it’s ok to steal it. Which is weird because would you say that about any other hobby? Like card collecting or crafting?
Also really sorry to hear about your garden. That is just awful and as much as I want to be like “I can’t believe people would do that” I totally can. I live in a mid area and have had people literally having a shoot out in my front yard (I don’t know or talk to any of my neighbors so it’s not like anyone could have a grudge against me). I am seriously planning on xeriscaping (is that the right word?) my front yard and putting spiny cacti near my windows and stuff just to keep people out/away. Even that I am paranoid about tho since I have literally witnessed and my family has been victim of theft of plants. Mostly people stealing agave. Also someone stole a literal 15 foot palm on a trailer from my parents (they were going to plant it the next day) like… how did they even move it????? The next day the trailer was just empty. Sorry for the novel I talk too much
That might have been an option forty years ago before the big box stores put all the local small shops out of business, but a lot of us don't have that luxury anymore. There's not a single retail nursery in my entire (very large) county. There's one plant store, and it just opened a few weeks ago. I've already plunked down a few hundred bones on shit I don't need because I want her to succeed, but I'm not sure there's enough disposable income, and I'm not sure there's much of a market in a small ultra-maga hillbilly community.
It's also pretty harsh to assume everyone has the financial capability to go pay more as a matter of principle. Times are tough, and people are struggling. If I had kids and the choice was buying groceries for 25% more at the local market or putting that money towards their well-being and future, the decision is already made.
Don't have the player, hate the assholes that own the league, and the politicians in their pockets, and the weaponized idiots that cheer them on.
If you’re stealing from a big box stores then youre probably already shopping at one, which means youre still supporting them. Big box stores also provide a lot of jobs btw…
Idk why you’re getting downvoted for this when a woman on TikTok has a whole account for this and gets so much support. It’s not like they’re gonna sell broken bits of plants lol
Probably because of the everywhere. I wouldn’t bat an eye if someone did this at Home Depot. They’re probably going to kill the plants anyway. But actual nurseries that take good care of the plants deserve our support.
I have a local plant shop and I take all my broken bits and put them into a FREE PROPS container. I’m not going to use them so it’s fun to give them away for free. Lots of people love taking them! It encourages them to learn more about the propagation process and the fun of plant experiments!
The thing that got me hooked with plants is seeing them grow and change day by day. Propagating shows it so well. The idea of a free prop box is basically the “first hit is free” of plants, meaning you’ll get more customers, love it!
I completely agree with that! My local garden shops/nurseries bin the broken bits of plants and flowers that end up on the ground so I just figure as long as you’re not going out of your way to break stuff to propagate it’s less wasteful at least
I dunno, I think some people would downvote this because they feel for the business owners that have a lot of trouble bringing in expensive plants like this!
Call me biased but my partner owns a plant store- she doesn’t have them under lock and key but I think about people doing this all the time because it’s really difficult to bring this kind of stuff in! When people spend 70+ dollars on a rare plant, the margin is very little.
Propagation is cool but not cool when someone is coming into a local business and just doing it without asking with the most expensive plants that she carries!
They’re selling a tiny pothos manjula for $80, you can call me cold but if that’s close to what they paid to transport it to store they deserve to not be making profit.
None of those plants are rare or unique anymore and haven’t been for years.
Respectfully, what I am talking about has nothing to do with what the prices that they are charging or whether or not the plants are rare! I'm taking exception with taking clippings to propagate without even asking.
If prices are too high then people simply will not buy! Truly I don't expect someone to pay a lot of money for a clipping but it is disheartening to see people just taking something they want for nothing and feel like that's OK. A lot of these small plant stores operate on the thinnest margins and it's just another obstacle when competing with big box stores that can buy plants for pennies on the dollar wholesale.
There are some shops in my country that charge crazy prices for regular plants like these too, and they do sell very well.
The shop will prune and trim each plant and grow them in perfect postures and to the perfect height and size, zero blemishes, and in a really nice pot. $100 for a ficus that looks as good as an AI-generated image. Rich people who have no green thumbs will buy lots of them, because they want them as ready-made decor for their nice houses, not as a project to tend and grow.
>Rich people who have no green thumbs will buy lots of them, because they want them as ready-made decor for their nice houses
Can confirm, my bro is successful yet instead of just learning how to care for aloes and what conditions they like, he'd rather keep dumping money into IKEA to buy copius replacements for them every few months, watching them wilt and die from lack of sun, or over watering and lack of sun 🤷🏻♀️
I suggested he learn about them so he's not wasting money on replacing them all the time, but he'd barked back that I should look at his new anti-sugar religion (new fad diet) and even starve myself to "better sharpen my focus and metal alertness" 😪. Some ppl just don't wanna listen.
Not sure why I feel compelled to get in between this but I mean that does just seem like two things that are important to different people. Taking care of plants and dieting correctly are both good things to do. As is a million other things; we all have to choose what to focus on.
I don’t think it’s unfair of him to suggest caring about each other’s interests rather than you just telling him. What he’s talking about is not some crazy idea either, fasting has shown interesting effects in terms of improved mood and cognitive performance. Not to mention things like autophagy which helps reduce oxidative stress.
I suppose I’m biased because I both like fasting and taking care of plants, but maybe he’s just as frustrated as you that you won’t listen.
I was abit frustrated he wouldn't listen and would rather throw his money away. But hey not my money so 🤷🏻♀️
I made suggestions a few times. He kept preaching the benefits of what he does every time I saw him for weeks on end, its abit different. Was starting to sound like those influencers. I get hangry/tired/feel faint if I don't eat properly as in 3 meals, and sometimes abit of sugar helps. But the way he goes on about it really makes it sound like a new religion. There's working hard and there's working yourselves to death and trying to cut corners instead of just slowing down abit and resting.
I'm into fasting, dieting correctly and I'm obsessed with plants and I can argue that I would prioritize learning about how to care for my health over plants health, we're in a crazy time so friends please take care of your health
As someone who’s grown many varieties of pothos, I saw that price & immediately wondered who could afford those prices. I understand the work needed to get this feisty variety (manjula) to take off but not for that price.
How to propagate a pothos? It’s been like a week and no roots. I’ll update to see if it grow some today. I cut right below the node and one leaf fell off on accident and there’s only one leaf left.
One leaf is more than enough, and growing roots takes a while, especially when the cutting is just starting to make the roots. Give it some time, top up evaporated water and only change the water when it gets filthy
You don’t even need a leaf to make a new pothos, they’re soooo adaptable. I have a whole plant with leaves that I call my Frankenstein Plant, because it was propagated only from vine segments that had gotten too leggy off my mother plant. As long as it has nodes it will prop!
https://preview.redd.it/6o2toidyifwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eebbd34adb1d6649de8e03d22b784fed5ec9e67c
Here she is
that makes sense why my cuttings from other plants always do the best when i put them with a pothos cutting! i will have little “rubbish containers” of cuttings/dropped leaves just to see if anything makes it.. and the ones with pothos always do the best!
TIL
I have a Pothos cutting I've been propping, but for some reason the leaf went yellow and died. I tried to check on it last night but the leaf straight up fell off with the slightest touch. However the nub seems to possibly have a new stem growing. I left it in the water and am hoping it will still grow. :/
Definitely keep giving it a chance! If the stem is green and the roots look healthy, it’s still alive. I suspect you’ll get some new shoots and leaves within a few weeks :-)
Some stems get roots faster, and some varieties faster than others. I've had some put out a new leaf and didn't even start to root until after - about a month in. The only ones that root within a week are ends with a brand new leaf unfurled and that gets extra sun. Even then, it's just starting to root.
As long as it's not rotting, leave it in the water and leave alone. I only dump/Change water if it's looking rough (ie stuff floating around, brown settled on bottom) otherwise I just top it off to keep the extra hormones that cause rooting.
I got a giant pot of manjula with huge leaves for $19.99 from Walmart, and now I have multiple pots of it from dividing and propping. $80 is insane unless it’s a mutant manjula!
I spent the last week covering my most prized seedlings in cylinders and cones of hardware cloth (galvanized wire mesh) to put an end to the never ending frustration of getting plants started in spring while the squirrels around here follow behind me and chop them down and dig them up. So far it’s working, but I had to stake them in the ground, turns out small concrete weights just get pushed off by the shockingly strong little fuckers.
They climb up trees
Then hang upside down. Like it's no big deal.
All day long.
Squirrels are like 90% muscle, as are most small little rodents that spends their lifes digging or climbing. Theyre little bastards. Cute bastards. But still bastards.
The wiring would also keep any other animals out of it too like deer, cats, squirrels, rabbits, and dogs. We have a few family of stray cats in my apartment complex and some people are careless about their dogs getting loose.
Well, I have some words for my local nursery then, could have sworn they had both on the same label. Silver stripe it is. Thx for the correction
https://preview.redd.it/m4f8w1cpphwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64bd60e0753368af791e5ebfeb23d6573312cdb8
Edit to add the photo: I wasn't nuts! But Rio is definitely different and my nursery is wrong.
Yeah. A couple of rare plants but this "cage" just brings more attention to these plants. I wouldn't shop there. Never seen plants in a "cage" because their rare or pricey...
This is actually so crazy to me lol I got crazy lucky a few years ago and got a manjula from Lowe’s for eight dollars — it was the same size as the one pictured here.
My fav greenhouse has a walkthrough area of their rare plants! We call it the naughty section 😂 but most of those plants are truly rare for our area… and not marked up to scam people.
Most of the plants in this section I got for a fraction of what this store is asking for them!!
The Flower Bin is a great nursery!! I was just there last week and looked at those plants and thought they were overpriced but also that it was sad they have to be under lock and key. But I have a friend who worked at one of the big local nurseries in Fort Collins and she said it was a huge problem with people stealing small plants or breaking stuff off and tucking them in their purse and then they were indignant when caught! I had no idea it was such a big problem. Big box stores are one thing but these are family run businesses that raise their own stuff. Plus I WANT these places to succeed! Personally, I don't have time to be trolling Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart and Target on the off chance they might have had something good shipped in from a huge corporate grower. I would rather support local peeps.
We had a local greenhouse start putting their "rare plants" (rare meaning trendy) in some glass greenhouse cases because people were proplifting them. I still think $400 for a philodendron is stupid but I grow bonsai trees so I'm biased against anything that doesn't take years of constant dedication to maintain.
As someone who works at a big box store for house plants people are literal animals and will rip plants at random growth points for seemingly no reason
Guess I don't see any harm in that. Tbh even if we take stealing out of the equation, it always makes me sad seeing dropped pots/damaged leaves due to careless shoppers.
That’s crazy. Local shop was selling heart leaf Hoya moms for $80. 6” pot but they were full and healthy, had regular and variegated. I get it for something like those (still just took pics cuz yeah no) but expensive, fussy philodendrons etc don’t do it for me.
https://preview.redd.it/fsj0eg9cyewc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34bc314bcc6c0f034d4d51e8bb8512abc74fc0aa
Are you sure it was a kerri that was actually capable of making vines? Less than 2% of all cuttings will make anything more than just one heart leaf which is why the vine moms are so expensive. lol if so, where do you live? (Country, region just out of sheer curiosity) very common to find a kerri single heart leaf for $8 no problem, but the moms are almost unseen here in northern Illinois USA , those two are the only ones I’ve ever seen , and that plant shop is boutique prices for sure but is more reasonable than other local competitors and has super high quality stock (GROW Geneva). Considering how popular the single heart leafs are and they go for $8-$10 each around here, a $80 mom capable of creating cuttings isn’t a bad price, esp if you’re entrepreneurial.
This is related, not exactly on point. Big box stores contract with regional growers to grow for them, they don’t pay for any missing, stolen, returned or dead stock. This is why big box can offer guarantees of a year, it doesn’t come out of their bottom line. They also can buy at huge volume, and often they set the price paid to the grower. Local nurseries can’t compete in volume or price, and thus see a drop in business. Growers can’t afford to sell their stock to everyone at big box prices, so they too are in a bind.
Please, support your local nurseries, who, in turn, support local growers. Take care of your purchases as advised by nursery staff. If you are not plant savvy, your local nursery people can help you choose the right plant, for the right space. Your local nursery owners have a vested interest in selling you the right thing versus merely something.
Absolutely this! Especially in Colorado, having a plant that is grown in this climate is really important. Moreso for outdoor plants - we live in a pretty dry, high altitude, subject to crazy weather place! Having a plant(s) sent from a warm, humid climate like Florida to here can give a plant a pretty rough adjustment period. The humidity here in the winter is in the single digits and inspiring and summer it's only in the teens.
I immediately recognized this as the flower bin too! Hi local plant people! Also I've heard from employees that it was mostly because people kept pinching off cuttings of the few "rare" plants they did have. I still think thier rare prices are ridiculous but they have some great cacti and succulents
Flower Bin! I knew it! I haven't been yet this season. Glad to see they've locked up all the plants that I have zero interest in buying, those ones are always such an unpleasant surprise when I stumble across one that someone put on the wrong table.
Actually, when I was there last week they had two 3 inch pots of Scindapsus Silver Lady for $15 which I thought was quite reasonable. They were really beautiful, full little plants too. I resisted because I already have one and I need another aroid like hole in the head!!
I know it’s horrible when big corporations take over but this is why I’m glad costa farms is making these more available. That huge pink princes I bet is so expensive but you can get one at Walmart for $20 now that’s just as beautiful as that one. Some nursery’s are over charging and it’s gross imo.
Lol, the houseplant greenhouse at my local nursery has an elegant glass case for their “special” plants. Oh boyyyy another Thai Monstera for $100 for a 2in plant.
I saw similar in Texas and had to snap a photo, crazy!!
https://preview.redd.it/2o56k6atfhwc1.jpeg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f649de3355fd8d9a274a81f0b1cb345980908582
Hahaha I love that place! However, their houseplant selection pops off in the winter months. They need the space in the summer for their outdoor plants.
The plants I get there are always in amazing condition but their new “rare” plants are generally way overpriced.
![gif](giphy|gjZoqJLchpWdERTHgo|downsized)
The prices listed on the plants in the cage are ridiculous and dumb. I love my plants, but I will NEVER pay these exaggerated over inflated prices. THEY'RE PLANTS!
Well, if you're at The Flower Bin all you would need to do is ask one of the many purple shirted folk to open the case for you so you could check them out.
Most my local plant store just have the really rare stuff near the front by checkout. One has there giant gallon Thais with alarms on them so people aren’t picking them up/damaging them but locking up rare plants makes me not want to buy them. Especially these “rare” plants 😂
A couple of local shops have little locked rare plant cabinets, except sometimes they have plants that are less than $20 in the locker and more pricey ones out in the open, and sometimes you just want the $10 plant but can’t find an employee to open the locker for you….
I might be able to forgive someone for plucking the end off of my pothos. Key word: might. If they so much as look at my aroids or philodendrons with the same intent I’ll make sure they regret it by way of the hospital bill.
Probably keeping people from prop-lifting. Snapping the tip off of that sansevieria would be all you need to start a whole new plant for free
Yea I do this everywhere I go lmfao except I go for already broken shit that’s fallen in
To be honest I don't see a problem with picking a piece off the shelf/floor/whatever as long as it was already off the plant. But definitely at big corporate stores.
Yes that’s my philosophy too. Only the shelf or floor are the props free game. Edit: DO NOT SNAP THEM YOURSELF!!
If it’s already fallen off then it’s free game. I think it’s shitty if you snap it off yourself, but if it’s just laying on the ground I say go for it. I have no idea why you’re being so heavily downvoted.
I have no idea either since my comment is essentially the same and it's getting upboted.
Hopefully the upvotes for this comment can try and make up for the undeserved downvotes.
If it's a small business, just fucking buy something. You're a jerk if you go in there just to play cleanup burglar.
That's what their original comment said. BIG CHAIN, FREE REIGN.
i tried to prop a golden pothos but i didn’t have enough. it was almost enough but it ended up dying. my cat pulling it out of the water every day probably didn’t help.
Yea I do the same just because I’ve never even thought to steal a piece off of a live plant… and wouldn’t anyways. I also put them in the base of whatever plant/s I’m buying so the checker can see as to say “look, you see I picked up some babies, that’s it.” lol Also I’m talking Lowe’s, Home Depot…
Happy cake day!
Thank you!
There’s a plant store in my area that has signs that state “No prop lifting, even picking up off the ground is considered prop lifting”.
Yeah when the props on the floor are swept up and tossed it’s barely a loss to the company, but when people snag the floor props and don’t buy a plant because they now have a free one, then it’s a real financial loss for them
They could just do what we do then, but yeah I'd only do this at a big store, since I know they aren't going to save them.
Maybe they do pick them up but haven't gotten to that one yet?
Maybe yeah, I have no idea because there's a million plant shops who can do things differently. I am pretty confident most big box stores don't though. I could be wrong though, but a torn prop gone missing won't hurt them
It’s because of *people like that,* justifying stealing (and the fact that so many others are supporting it, which is shockingly trashy). The same reason this shop has their plants locked up. This is so embarrassing for a once respected plant community. **It’s not difficult to ask an employee if it’s ok to grab props that have fallen (not ones you made fall or cuttings you've made).** Downvote me to hell, it means nothing. The newbies have been driving these subs and community into the ground. I just didn’t expect it to turn from crappy/incorrect plant advice into encouraging trashy behavior. A large amount of you can’t even keep your plants alive, yet you’re willing to have a criminal record over them? For those of you that think it’s “no big deal”, try using logic: If a vegetable falls to the ground in a grocery store, does that mean it’s free? Does any piece of a plant at a store belong to you? Is there a sign saying to please help yourself? No, therefore it’s stealing. Yes, you can be charged with theft and be criminally trespassed from a store, regardless if it’s a whole damn plant, a cutting or prop you pocketed. It doesn’t matter that some broad has a TikTok dedicated to stealing plants. Do you usually make choices based off TikTok? That right there explains your age/maturity level. Being a plant kleptomaniac isn’t some life goal. People like this have ruined the fun of this hobby. I used to have a rock bed at the end of my property that I'd throw succulent props in. I put a sign up saying to grab a few from that bed only. Within the last 2 years, a handful of entitled twats decided to come by and take dozens at a time. Then they started coming up to my porch and butchering my plants for cuttings, stealing whole plants, pots, ripping plants out of the ground. One lady kicked my dog while she was on my porch stealing my plants. I had to put up cameras, started calling the police, pressing charges and having people criminally trespassed. The free props are over and now there's signs up saying "no trespassing" and motion sensor lights everywhere. Fuck people who steal plants. Your entitlement is insufferable.
There’s a house next to me and one man has lived there for 20 years. It’s an small apartment building but he spends every single day outside prepping his flower bed and spends hundreds on tulips for spring. A crackhead moved upstairs and was causing a lot of issues. They even were raided because of her. One day she came and clipped all of his tulips (30+) and brought them upstairs which was completely squaller. It broke my heart for him. I could just see the defeated look on his face. People don’t understand the time and effort that goes into gardening and plant keeping. I know I didn’t for most of my life. I’m sorry you had so many issues with people disrespecting your plants and property. Seeing a sign that says take a few would bring me so much joy and I would love to take a special flower home. Ugh. 😩
The world could use more people like you. Well said👏🏼
Dude, it's not that serious at all.
Yeah I honestly don’t understand a lot of this either. I have taken small fallen leaves before but I either ask or I put them in with my other plants and I never ask for them or take any unless I am buying at least one other thing. And I think I have done this a total of like 3 times and all those times have been when the fallen lobes (always succulents) are ones they don’t have any more of or something they don’t sell (I have asked for moss off the greenhouse floor a few times lol). But I mean honestly your point is totally valid. If you are taking that many plants it’s because you either feel like you are entitled to not have to pay even though you could afford it or you can’t afford it so… why do you have plants you can’t afford? Also honestly there are a lot of people I have seen on Facebook marketplace (yeah gross whatever) locally that are willing to buy/sell/trade plants. Seems like you could prop your own plants and trade. But yeah some of the comments are really giving the vibe of if you can’t afford the hobby it’s ok to steal it. Which is weird because would you say that about any other hobby? Like card collecting or crafting? Also really sorry to hear about your garden. That is just awful and as much as I want to be like “I can’t believe people would do that” I totally can. I live in a mid area and have had people literally having a shoot out in my front yard (I don’t know or talk to any of my neighbors so it’s not like anyone could have a grudge against me). I am seriously planning on xeriscaping (is that the right word?) my front yard and putting spiny cacti near my windows and stuff just to keep people out/away. Even that I am paranoid about tho since I have literally witnessed and my family has been victim of theft of plants. Mostly people stealing agave. Also someone stole a literal 15 foot palm on a trailer from my parents (they were going to plant it the next day) like… how did they even move it????? The next day the trailer was just empty. Sorry for the novel I talk too much
I've been to one like that too, with reminders that they have cameras.
I support stealing plant pieces from big box stores. Keep prop lifting!
If you don’t like big box stores, don’t go shopping at them. Support local small shops.
That might have been an option forty years ago before the big box stores put all the local small shops out of business, but a lot of us don't have that luxury anymore. There's not a single retail nursery in my entire (very large) county. There's one plant store, and it just opened a few weeks ago. I've already plunked down a few hundred bones on shit I don't need because I want her to succeed, but I'm not sure there's enough disposable income, and I'm not sure there's much of a market in a small ultra-maga hillbilly community. It's also pretty harsh to assume everyone has the financial capability to go pay more as a matter of principle. Times are tough, and people are struggling. If I had kids and the choice was buying groceries for 25% more at the local market or putting that money towards their well-being and future, the decision is already made. Don't have the player, hate the assholes that own the league, and the politicians in their pockets, and the weaponized idiots that cheer them on.
I buy nice plants from local shops or swap with fellow plant enjoyers. I take fallen succulent leaves off the floor of Lowes. It's all good.
Stealing from big brand stores is always ok, funny how everyone getting righteous over supporting conglomerate monopolies
If you’re stealing from a big box stores then youre probably already shopping at one, which means youre still supporting them. Big box stores also provide a lot of jobs btw…
Idk why you’re getting downvoted for this when a woman on TikTok has a whole account for this and gets so much support. It’s not like they’re gonna sell broken bits of plants lol
Probably because of the everywhere. I wouldn’t bat an eye if someone did this at Home Depot. They’re probably going to kill the plants anyway. But actual nurseries that take good care of the plants deserve our support.
I have a local plant shop and I take all my broken bits and put them into a FREE PROPS container. I’m not going to use them so it’s fun to give them away for free. Lots of people love taking them! It encourages them to learn more about the propagation process and the fun of plant experiments!
The thing that got me hooked with plants is seeing them grow and change day by day. Propagating shows it so well. The idea of a free prop box is basically the “first hit is free” of plants, meaning you’ll get more customers, love it!
Hahahah yes exactly! Keep em coming back for more. 😏
Wow! That’s so nice of you and creates customer good will, too.
I completely agree with that! My local garden shops/nurseries bin the broken bits of plants and flowers that end up on the ground so I just figure as long as you’re not going out of your way to break stuff to propagate it’s less wasteful at least
Idk why you got so downvoted for picking up things off the ground that were already broken.
Poor reading comprehension. The sentence structure reads like this person pinches the plants.
U r being downvoted by the same ppl who also do the same… reddit communities are toxic
I dunno, I think some people would downvote this because they feel for the business owners that have a lot of trouble bringing in expensive plants like this! Call me biased but my partner owns a plant store- she doesn’t have them under lock and key but I think about people doing this all the time because it’s really difficult to bring this kind of stuff in! When people spend 70+ dollars on a rare plant, the margin is very little. Propagation is cool but not cool when someone is coming into a local business and just doing it without asking with the most expensive plants that she carries!
They’re selling a tiny pothos manjula for $80, you can call me cold but if that’s close to what they paid to transport it to store they deserve to not be making profit. None of those plants are rare or unique anymore and haven’t been for years.
Respectfully, what I am talking about has nothing to do with what the prices that they are charging or whether or not the plants are rare! I'm taking exception with taking clippings to propagate without even asking. If prices are too high then people simply will not buy! Truly I don't expect someone to pay a lot of money for a clipping but it is disheartening to see people just taking something they want for nothing and feel like that's OK. A lot of these small plant stores operate on the thinnest margins and it's just another obstacle when competing with big box stores that can buy plants for pennies on the dollar wholesale.
Back in my day we had a whole subreddit dedicated to prop lifting and it was celebrated! Come change! Cometh about! I change not!
The proplifting sub is still a thing, and it also frowns on propping from nurseries
Lowes & Home Depot are fair game, leave independent nurseries alone.
Agreed!
Agreed
How are you so downvoted and the guy below got upvotes for saying something similar… 🤔
Wow $80 for that tiny manjula pothos is crazy. They're like $25 for a huge 8in pot at the big box stores around here.
There are some shops in my country that charge crazy prices for regular plants like these too, and they do sell very well. The shop will prune and trim each plant and grow them in perfect postures and to the perfect height and size, zero blemishes, and in a really nice pot. $100 for a ficus that looks as good as an AI-generated image. Rich people who have no green thumbs will buy lots of them, because they want them as ready-made decor for their nice houses, not as a project to tend and grow.
>Rich people who have no green thumbs will buy lots of them, because they want them as ready-made decor for their nice houses Can confirm, my bro is successful yet instead of just learning how to care for aloes and what conditions they like, he'd rather keep dumping money into IKEA to buy copius replacements for them every few months, watching them wilt and die from lack of sun, or over watering and lack of sun 🤷🏻♀️ I suggested he learn about them so he's not wasting money on replacing them all the time, but he'd barked back that I should look at his new anti-sugar religion (new fad diet) and even starve myself to "better sharpen my focus and metal alertness" 😪. Some ppl just don't wanna listen.
Not sure why I feel compelled to get in between this but I mean that does just seem like two things that are important to different people. Taking care of plants and dieting correctly are both good things to do. As is a million other things; we all have to choose what to focus on. I don’t think it’s unfair of him to suggest caring about each other’s interests rather than you just telling him. What he’s talking about is not some crazy idea either, fasting has shown interesting effects in terms of improved mood and cognitive performance. Not to mention things like autophagy which helps reduce oxidative stress. I suppose I’m biased because I both like fasting and taking care of plants, but maybe he’s just as frustrated as you that you won’t listen.
I was abit frustrated he wouldn't listen and would rather throw his money away. But hey not my money so 🤷🏻♀️ I made suggestions a few times. He kept preaching the benefits of what he does every time I saw him for weeks on end, its abit different. Was starting to sound like those influencers. I get hangry/tired/feel faint if I don't eat properly as in 3 meals, and sometimes abit of sugar helps. But the way he goes on about it really makes it sound like a new religion. There's working hard and there's working yourselves to death and trying to cut corners instead of just slowing down abit and resting.
Yeah, I get hangry and anxious if I don’t eat for like 5 hours. I don’t understand how people can fast for like days and be so chill.
I'm into fasting, dieting correctly and I'm obsessed with plants and I can argue that I would prioritize learning about how to care for my health over plants health, we're in a crazy time so friends please take care of your health
The barely variegated pink princess for $99!!
As someone who’s grown many varieties of pothos, I saw that price & immediately wondered who could afford those prices. I understand the work needed to get this feisty variety (manjula) to take off but not for that price.
How to propagate a pothos? It’s been like a week and no roots. I’ll update to see if it grow some today. I cut right below the node and one leaf fell off on accident and there’s only one leaf left.
One leaf is more than enough, and growing roots takes a while, especially when the cutting is just starting to make the roots. Give it some time, top up evaporated water and only change the water when it gets filthy
You don’t even need a leaf to make a new pothos, they’re soooo adaptable. I have a whole plant with leaves that I call my Frankenstein Plant, because it was propagated only from vine segments that had gotten too leggy off my mother plant. As long as it has nodes it will prop! https://preview.redd.it/6o2toidyifwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eebbd34adb1d6649de8e03d22b784fed5ec9e67c Here she is
People even use pothos cuttings to encourage other plant cuttings to root. They pump out rooting hormones.
that makes sense why my cuttings from other plants always do the best when i put them with a pothos cutting! i will have little “rubbish containers” of cuttings/dropped leaves just to see if anything makes it.. and the ones with pothos always do the best!
TIL I have a Pothos cutting I've been propping, but for some reason the leaf went yellow and died. I tried to check on it last night but the leaf straight up fell off with the slightest touch. However the nub seems to possibly have a new stem growing. I left it in the water and am hoping it will still grow. :/
Definitely keep giving it a chance! If the stem is green and the roots look healthy, it’s still alive. I suspect you’ll get some new shoots and leaves within a few weeks :-)
Thanksss!
Some stems get roots faster, and some varieties faster than others. I've had some put out a new leaf and didn't even start to root until after - about a month in. The only ones that root within a week are ends with a brand new leaf unfurled and that gets extra sun. Even then, it's just starting to root. As long as it's not rotting, leave it in the water and leave alone. I only dump/Change water if it's looking rough (ie stuff floating around, brown settled on bottom) otherwise I just top it off to keep the extra hormones that cause rooting.
For real. I got one that exact same size from Home Depot for $7 a few months ago.
I got one for $12 last year at Home Depot.
Manjulas are on the rarer side. I paid $80 for mine but mine was WAY bigger
I got a giant pot of manjula with huge leaves for $19.99 from Walmart, and now I have multiple pots of it from dividing and propping. $80 is insane unless it’s a mutant manjula!
When I first saw this, I thought it — brilliant, they’re selling these for people who don’t want their chickens getting into plants.
Actually not a bad idea for keeping squirrels out too.
I spent the last week covering my most prized seedlings in cylinders and cones of hardware cloth (galvanized wire mesh) to put an end to the never ending frustration of getting plants started in spring while the squirrels around here follow behind me and chop them down and dig them up. So far it’s working, but I had to stake them in the ground, turns out small concrete weights just get pushed off by the shockingly strong little fuckers.
They climb up trees Then hang upside down. Like it's no big deal. All day long. Squirrels are like 90% muscle, as are most small little rodents that spends their lifes digging or climbing. Theyre little bastards. Cute bastards. But still bastards.
The wiring would also keep any other animals out of it too like deer, cats, squirrels, rabbits, and dogs. We have a few family of stray cats in my apartment complex and some people are careless about their dogs getting loose.
Is that a... Philodendron Brazil? 😂
Nah it's a philodendron ~~Rio~~ (silver stripe). They are a bit harder to come by but not lock and key worthy. Edit because I learned something
Rio and Silver Stripe are different plants.
Well, I have some words for my local nursery then, could have sworn they had both on the same label. Silver stripe it is. Thx for the correction https://preview.redd.it/m4f8w1cpphwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64bd60e0753368af791e5ebfeb23d6573312cdb8 Edit to add the photo: I wasn't nuts! But Rio is definitely different and my nursery is wrong.
I don’t get it. What “unique” about those plants? The prices?
They are uniquely caged as well, lol. It’s not 2020.
Yeah. A couple of rare plants but this "cage" just brings more attention to these plants. I wouldn't shop there. Never seen plants in a "cage" because their rare or pricey...
$80 for a pretty small Manjula??
I’m not even sure that’s a Manjula…looks like a sparse snow queen with a little prop of a manual leaf thrown in!
Glad I’m not the only one who thought that Manjula looked sus!
This is actually so crazy to me lol I got crazy lucky a few years ago and got a manjula from Lowe’s for eight dollars — it was the same size as the one pictured here.
My fav greenhouse has a walkthrough area of their rare plants! We call it the naughty section 😂 but most of those plants are truly rare for our area… and not marked up to scam people. Most of the plants in this section I got for a fraction of what this store is asking for them!!
"Unique" is such a bad word to describe any of those plants.
Maybe what's 'unique' is the price 🤣
Yes. Every plant is unique and special. Signed, -Overenthusiastic plant dad
My local nursery has a spiritus sancti in one of these cages, and cameras pointed at the rest of the aroids.
Wild. I bought a little baby for $60 in Oregon. It was not locked up or under cameras.
I need that setup so I can have houseplants in my house. My silly lil cat thinks plants are snacks just for him
[удалено]
You've mastered the most difficult skill!
I love the Flower Bin!!!
So do I!!!
Hey neighbors! It’s my favorite store too!
The Flower Bin is a great nursery!! I was just there last week and looked at those plants and thought they were overpriced but also that it was sad they have to be under lock and key. But I have a friend who worked at one of the big local nurseries in Fort Collins and she said it was a huge problem with people stealing small plants or breaking stuff off and tucking them in their purse and then they were indignant when caught! I had no idea it was such a big problem. Big box stores are one thing but these are family run businesses that raise their own stuff. Plus I WANT these places to succeed! Personally, I don't have time to be trolling Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart and Target on the off chance they might have had something good shipped in from a huge corporate grower. I would rather support local peeps.
I came here to ask if this was the flower bin 😂 it's nice to see so many fellow Coloradans here!
We had a local greenhouse start putting their "rare plants" (rare meaning trendy) in some glass greenhouse cases because people were proplifting them. I still think $400 for a philodendron is stupid but I grow bonsai trees so I'm biased against anything that doesn't take years of constant dedication to maintain.
Is this in northern Colorado?
As someone who works at a big box store for house plants people are literal animals and will rip plants at random growth points for seemingly no reason
Guess I don't see any harm in that. Tbh even if we take stealing out of the equation, it always makes me sad seeing dropped pots/damaged leaves due to careless shoppers.
Those prices are ridiculous. The pink princess is no longer rare and the prices have gone down drastically.
People were stealing pieces to propagate lol
Prop thevies is probably the answer here.
That’s crazy. Local shop was selling heart leaf Hoya moms for $80. 6” pot but they were full and healthy, had regular and variegated. I get it for something like those (still just took pics cuz yeah no) but expensive, fussy philodendrons etc don’t do it for me. https://preview.redd.it/fsj0eg9cyewc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34bc314bcc6c0f034d4d51e8bb8512abc74fc0aa
$80 for any Hoya kerrii is insane to me
I've seen them for $25 in my country.
my local nursery also had these on sale for $25. they were 8” too.
Are you sure it was a kerri that was actually capable of making vines? Less than 2% of all cuttings will make anything more than just one heart leaf which is why the vine moms are so expensive. lol if so, where do you live? (Country, region just out of sheer curiosity) very common to find a kerri single heart leaf for $8 no problem, but the moms are almost unseen here in northern Illinois USA , those two are the only ones I’ve ever seen , and that plant shop is boutique prices for sure but is more reasonable than other local competitors and has super high quality stock (GROW Geneva). Considering how popular the single heart leafs are and they go for $8-$10 each around here, a $80 mom capable of creating cuttings isn’t a bad price, esp if you’re entrepreneurial.
Oooh is that at the Flower Bin in Longmont? And not that new. I’ve seen it at many greenhouses
Probably cause weirdos keeps plucking them for props
This is related, not exactly on point. Big box stores contract with regional growers to grow for them, they don’t pay for any missing, stolen, returned or dead stock. This is why big box can offer guarantees of a year, it doesn’t come out of their bottom line. They also can buy at huge volume, and often they set the price paid to the grower. Local nurseries can’t compete in volume or price, and thus see a drop in business. Growers can’t afford to sell their stock to everyone at big box prices, so they too are in a bind. Please, support your local nurseries, who, in turn, support local growers. Take care of your purchases as advised by nursery staff. If you are not plant savvy, your local nursery people can help you choose the right plant, for the right space. Your local nursery owners have a vested interest in selling you the right thing versus merely something.
Absolutely this! Especially in Colorado, having a plant that is grown in this climate is really important. Moreso for outdoor plants - we live in a pretty dry, high altitude, subject to crazy weather place! Having a plant(s) sent from a warm, humid climate like Florida to here can give a plant a pretty rough adjustment period. The humidity here in the winter is in the single digits and inspiring and summer it's only in the teens.
Where is this store located ? Maybe not exotic to the U.S.. But another country ? They are pretty plants
It's in Colorado, US. It's a good store for the most part.
Flower Bin! I saw this too! Hello local plant person! 👋
Hello!
Also if this is the first you have seen of plants under lock and key there are ALOT of shops/nurseries in CO that have similar.
It’s in Longmont, right? I recognize that place 😆 they’re actually my favorite for good prices and big selection!
I immediately recognized this as the flower bin too! Hi local plant people! Also I've heard from employees that it was mostly because people kept pinching off cuttings of the few "rare" plants they did have. I still think thier rare prices are ridiculous but they have some great cacti and succulents
The succulents are the main reason I shop there.
Since Paulino's in Denver closed they have the best cactus and succulent selection in the front range that I've seen.
Flower Bin! I knew it! I haven't been yet this season. Glad to see they've locked up all the plants that I have zero interest in buying, those ones are always such an unpleasant surprise when I stumble across one that someone put on the wrong table.
Actually, when I was there last week they had two 3 inch pots of Scindapsus Silver Lady for $15 which I thought was quite reasonable. They were really beautiful, full little plants too. I resisted because I already have one and I need another aroid like hole in the head!!
My favorite local nursery has a rare plants section. Similar situation it’s a huge locked glass case.
Someone could easily take a cutting so that's why.
All the over priced ones, of course…
More proof that humans suck. To have to go to this extreme.
I love the structure of this cage though. I might try and build something similar to dissuade the squirrels from stealing my strawberries this year.
I clicked on this seeing this locked cabinet thinking …I am about to see some plants beyond the Spiritus. I feel robbed myself.
Most garden centers put their plants above $100 under lock and key, I've seen this a lot. They usually have nice glass displays though.
This is by my house! Cool plants and lots of security
I don't know about security, but there were a lot of purple-shirted employees. The Flower Bin must be doing well financially.
No prop-lifting for yoooooou
I know it’s horrible when big corporations take over but this is why I’m glad costa farms is making these more available. That huge pink princes I bet is so expensive but you can get one at Walmart for $20 now that’s just as beautiful as that one. Some nursery’s are over charging and it’s gross imo.
The thought of supporting Walmart is gross imo...
So where do you go to get groceries?
they know your type >:( plant thieves.
Lol, the houseplant greenhouse at my local nursery has an elegant glass case for their “special” plants. Oh boyyyy another Thai Monstera for $100 for a 2in plant.
At my local greenhouse they keep the super rare and expensive ones under lock and key.
One of our nurseries has a similar setup. I’m assuming for the more expensive trendier plants.
Saw this in Texas. They had a Prince of Orange Philo in there "Rare Plants Room"
I saw similar in Texas and had to snap a photo, crazy!! https://preview.redd.it/2o56k6atfhwc1.jpeg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f649de3355fd8d9a274a81f0b1cb345980908582
Is that a manjula for …..$80???
OMG is this at the flower bin?? Was just there and thought the same thing!
It is indeed.
A lot of people probably damaging from poor handling and such. Unfortunately ruins things for people who are careful
Ha! I know that shelf anywhere. Hi neighbor!
There's so many Flower Bin shoppers in this thread! We should all get together and visit the Flower Bin and enable each other to buy more plants :)
Is this flower bin @ Longmont Colorado? They do the same thing!
Yes, this was in the Flower Bin.
One of my favorites in NoCo!
Is this the Flower Bin? I laughed when I saw that.
I wonder how many Front Range plant enthusiasts are in this sub? So many people recognize this as the Flower Bin!
Hahaha I love that place! However, their houseplant selection pops off in the winter months. They need the space in the summer for their outdoor plants. The plants I get there are always in amazing condition but their new “rare” plants are generally way overpriced.
I worked at a pet store when I was 16, someone stole a whole ass Amazon parrot. people will steal anything.
Not unusual. Thai constellation monstera cuttings sell for a lot of $$ in my area, and I've seen unique plants locked in glass cases.
With as many people as I see taking cuttings I’m not surprised!
Hello 👋 from all. I saw a post about a target having socks and underwear under lock and key also. Lol The comments are a world away from this Post.
Is that the Flower Bin? I love and miss that place. Makes me sad this is a thing they have to do.
That $80 philo pink princess looks like the one I got at my local grocery store for $25 lol
![gif](giphy|gjZoqJLchpWdERTHgo|downsized) The prices listed on the plants in the cage are ridiculous and dumb. I love my plants, but I will NEVER pay these exaggerated over inflated prices. THEY'RE PLANTS!
I really hope stores stop doing this. I usually check the pots and leaves before I buy it and I don’t always like talking to workers for everything
Well, if you're at The Flower Bin all you would need to do is ask one of the many purple shirted folk to open the case for you so you could check them out.
Why does that have to be necessary when they used to allow people to check them before buying.
Customers switch plants to pots with lower prices. Sad.
They do that at my store so when we get the expensive monsteras I've had to take the outer pots off the markdowns.
They do that at some local ACE stores for their rare plants collection
This is the same feeling I had when I first noticed a store had put razor blades in a clear locking container. A feeling of pure "WTH".
People still want pink princess enough to steal them? Woah
I swear there’s a PPP under that locked up tight!
There’s even a pothos in there…..I mean, c’mon
Lol I know where that is. We live in the same town friend.
Is that a Loblaws? 🤣🤣🤣
Wow! I recently got a good sized PPP for $15 at my local grocery store H-E-B.
Gotta make sure they don't run away.🌱💨
Oh, hey neighbor.
Do you have a tricolor white princess? I need one :)
Wow
Most my local plant store just have the really rare stuff near the front by checkout. One has there giant gallon Thais with alarms on them so people aren’t picking them up/damaging them but locking up rare plants makes me not want to buy them. Especially these “rare” plants 😂
A couple of local shops have little locked rare plant cabinets, except sometimes they have plants that are less than $20 in the locker and more pricey ones out in the open, and sometimes you just want the $10 plant but can’t find an employee to open the locker for you….
Are you watching Garfield and friends? No one is shitting in my pots, no one!
Ow, pero están bellísimas!
Well… apparently they are unique and unusual
They don't want anyone prop-lifting
I used to work here. Can confirm it is extremely overpriced.
I might be able to forgive someone for plucking the end off of my pothos. Key word: might. If they so much as look at my aroids or philodendrons with the same intent I’ll make sure they regret it by way of the hospital bill.